Title
Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine: Zoning Code, Article V: Use Regulations, Chapter 911: Primary Uses, at Section 911.02: Use Table and Article VI: Development Standards, Chapter 914: Parking Loading and Access, at Section 914.02: Off-Street Parking Schedules, and adding Section 912.09.B.: Child care (Accessory Use) at Chapter 912: Accessory Uses and Structures, all to amend Childcare Uses and Standards.
(Sent for a Report & Recommendation on 11/2/23)
(Report & Recommendation received 11/30/23)
(Public Hearing held 2/13/24)
Body
WHEREAS, expanding access to and improving the quality of child care across the City of Pittsburgh is a critical priority for Pittsburgh City Council, and;
WHEREAS, securing child care is a perennial source of stress to parents, more than 75% of whom report that they have had difficulty finding a childcare space, and 70% of whom share that this difficulty affects their ability to work; and,
WHEREAS, in 2019, Pittsburgh City Council allocated $2 million to establish the Childcare Quality Fund; and,
WHEREAS, since September 2021, this fund has distributed money for a variety of child care intitiatives across the City of Pittsburgh, ranging from facility renovations and purchases of supplies, that has helped keep child care facilities open through the pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, with the September 30, 2023 termination of pandemic-era federal support for child care facilities, 1 in 3 child care facilities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are in danger of closing imminently; and,
WHEREAS, across Pennsylvania, around 38,000 children are currently on waiting lists to enroll at child care facilities; and,
WHEREAS, in Allegheny County, a February 2023 survey found that 5,851 children are waiting on such lists; and,
WHEREAS, partners in Pittsburgh's business community-like Duolingo-have recognized the urgency of securing child care resources in this moment and stepped up by launching the Duolingo Early Learners Fi...
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